Page One: “Steve Jobs” (2015)

Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, based on a book by Walter Isaacson

The movie version of the opening:

This is an outstanding movie. Yes, there’s the Sorkin dialogue we’ve all come to expect in his movies, but for me, it’s two things that elevate this film:

• Story Structure: A story in three acts, dropping us into Jobs’ life right before the roll-out of a significant new technological product. Tension, pressure, conflict as the world awaits the Next Great Thing. But at the emotional core of the story is …
• Father-Daughter relationship: Steve Jobs … and his estranged daughter Lisa. This is the Protagonist-Attractor story playing out in its own three acts. It ends with an emotional wallop.

“I’m poorly made.” What a line. What a moment. If you haven’t seen the movie, watch it. If you haven’t read the script, read it… here. All 189 pages of it.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

For more Page One posts, go here.

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